Mademoiselle Jolie is 9 to 5
When this lady arrived I was so excited to photograph her in her fluffy ball gown. Once that was completed, I decided to do a 180 and cast her in the role of tough business woman. Another inspiration in this shoot for me were the little glass globes. I found these at a little hole in the wall store I love to go to. I had to use them in something and the headquarters for W Cosmetics felt like the perfect place to use them. I hope you guys like this set because it may come back.
Model: Ombres Poétique Mademoiselle Jolie
Suit: Le Smoking Adéle Makèda
Shoes and Lingerie top:Ombres Poétique
Watch:Le Smoking Adéle Makèda
Jewelry:Ombres Poétique
Sunglasses:IT sales room convention 2013 purchase
Purse: Lead Singles Lilith and Eden
Gloves: Hands from Edge Vanessa
Set: Desk is clear acrylic riser. Chandelier is a laser cut paper holiday ornament. Chair is clear 1/6 armless ghost chair.
Love these little globe paperweights!
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
Since I am getting back into the swing of things blog wise again, I thought it was well past time to do a Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi. In the past couple of years, I have been approached a few times to submit photos to publishers to help them pitch a book for production. I was approached last year to submit some photos for a book being considered to highlight James Bogue’s work. While the book idea may have not come to fruition this time around, James’ inspiring work is most definitely worthy of it. Here were some of my submissions.
James sells his fashions on his Etsy site at Bogues Vogues originals.
Ombres Poétique
There was a new arrival this week at ITFDS.
This gown is so much frothy yumminess that I can barely contain myself as I type this. All that tulle!!! Love the lace too. The necklace on this beautiful lady is a new design for IT and it appears to be strung on some kind of stretchy filament rather than string. We will see if it holds up better than the plain string. The hair bump was overdone a few years back at IT but it is subtle on this one and works very well. The hair color is a beautiful platinum blonde.
Edge Vanessa
The 2014 WClub had many spectacular offerings for its members this past year. Here is the latest to arrive at ITFDS.
Edge Vanessa Perrin Dressed Doll
The Fashion Royalty Collection
2013 Design Competition Award Doll by Lisa Ramsammy
Edition Size: 985
Suggested Retail Price:
$150 public/$135 W Club Members (+ Shipping and tax if applicable)
Estimated Delivery Date: Approximately Late Fall/Early Winter 2014
Doll Tech-Specs:
Head Sculpt: Vanessa 3.0
Body: FR 2013
Skin Tone: FR White
Quickswitch Feature: No
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Hair Color: Luscious Blond
This particular offering from The WClub is a special one. The doll and gown were the winners of the design competition at the 2013 Integrity Toys Convention.
Thank you, Thank you Lisa Ramsammy for this amazing design! She is stunning. You can find more of Lisa’s amazing work at her website The Doll Place.
A New Poppy Plus Silkstone Sneak Peeks
I received the new “That Holiday Feeling” Poppy Parker a couple of days ago. Usually I get a shipping notice but not this time. It was a nice surprise. Here is her promo shot again
Source: Integrity Toys, Inc.
And here is the actual photo
The hairstyle is quite a bit different than the promo shots. The bangs needed some work to get them into a pleasing shape but a little bit of gel goes a long way to solve that dilemma. The rest of the hair while different is very pretty. Her face is sublime. Classic Poppy Parker. The dress came out of the box fairly wrinkled hence the tight in shot but that can be ironed to fix. The fabric of the gown is nice and the cape is adorable. I hope those lucky enough to win the chance to purchase get her in time to enjoy her over the holidays.
In other exciting fashion doll collector news recently, new Silkstone Barbie photos!!! Mattel shared information on two new Silkies to be released in 2015.
Fashionable Floral Silkstone Barbie
Available February 2015
Suggested Retail: $59.00
source: Mattel, Inc.
Hold the phone people!! If this price point is right… $59.00 is a steal!! I adore the little side chignon on this one. This one screams “gentleman caller” to me. She has to be from the south with an elegant hat like that.
Available April 2015
Suggested Retail: $110.00
Source: Mattel, Inc.
Oh the Chanelness of it all!!! This one is a no brainer for me. I hope the actual production doll has a shorter bob haircut like this. She is going to look fabulous next to my Preferably Pink Silkstone. I am noticing that there are no earrings with either one of these Silkstones. I guess this is one way to alleviate the “green ear” issue. This girl desperately needs a pair of pearl earrings to complete the look. I mean come on…what fashionista is going to leave the house without earrings….not this one.
-Rebecca
2014 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention…
…let the madness begin. By the time this blog entry posts, I will be boarding a series of flights that will take me deep into the heartland of the United States. The National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention (NBDCC) is gathering collectors from all over the world in Nashville Tennessee this year and I will be there to report and to enjoy.
I am especially excited to go and see old and new friends this year because I missed the big dance last year. I can’t wait to catch up with everyone. I will be sharing photos and updates on the blog here and on my Flickr account. Feel free to follow along. I will try to do my daily updates but am making no promises as I will also be selling out of my room this year. Things will most likely be a little crazy for a bit. Here is the sales flyer for what I have.
Fabulous silk scarves for our diminutive divas. Perfect for table gifts or as a hostess gift for your table hostess. The scarf sets come with a 5 inch by 5 inch silk scarf, designer scarf box and little scarf ring to keep it in place.
Each set is priced at $20.00 with over 40 different designs to choose from.
I will also be selling furniture.
If you are in Nashville this year, feel free to stop by. I will post the room number once I get in. Watch for the ITFDS flyers on the sales boards. Hope to post my first update tomorrow night. 
Reverence for the Repaint…Part II
Here is the third and final repaint I received from from the amazing repaint artist Jon Copeland. She was originally a Suite Retreat™ Barbie® Doll.
source: www.Barbiecollector.com
This is what Jon Copeland did with her. STUNNING!
Gown and Hat: Bogue’s Vogues
Gloves, shoes and jewelry: Mattel
Fur: Dimitha
-Rebecca
It’s been a while…
…since I have posted. For the past month, I have been photographing big dolls on stage as they fly through the air in time to music.
Yes, that’s my dancer daughter in the front. Proud mama moment. Now that dance recital season is over with photos processed and on my website available for happy parents to purchase, I can turn my time and energy to other photography projects. Namely, I can get back to photographing some new acquisitions into the collection. Before I do that however, I wanted to share something.
As a person who loves images and has an even greater love for capturing images, I enjoy going to Flickr to get inspired. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of creativity that can be found there. Yesterday, I saw a photo by a Flickr member whom I follow and who I truly enjoy trading witty comments with. On Flickr, her name is Malibu T. I knew she was a talented painter based on the photos she has shared but I was floored by the project she just shared.
This is what she started with: A Mattel Enchanted Evening Castle
source: Mattel, Inc.
And this is what she did with it:
** all photos below are under Malibu T’s copyright and are being used with her permission**
Holy cow!! She has also gone way above and beyond by sharing on her Flickr page how she did this. If you want to read about it, go here. Way cool!!
Yes, I know I am behind on responding to comments. I will be getting to those tomorrow. 
Reverence for the Repaint
I can do many things when it comes to doll collecting. I cannot do what Jon Copeland does. I can’t even contemplate it. I can, however, observe, enjoy and photograph it.
For those who are interested, she was originally a Mila™ Barbie® Doll.
A Dulcissima Bride
If you look up the translation for Dulcissima it says “Sweet” or “Sweetest”. I think this recent addition to the BFMC Alta Moda collection comes off as more sultry than sweet. However you see this one..sweet or sultry, she is a beauty. While her original Dolce and Gabbana inspired outfit may have not been my thing, dressing her in this Joe Tai bridal fashion definitely suited me and my collection.
-Rebecca
Worth The Wait
Patience is indeed a virtue. It is a virtue I don’t happen to have a clear grasp of most days. When I send a doll off for repainting, I want it back like yesterday. I like to send a doll off to a repaint artist and give general likes or dislikes but I don’t give specifics about what I want done. I usually like to leave it in the talented and capable hands of the artist and I get what I get. I sent a few ladies off to Jon Copeland of SeloJDesigns a number of months ago and while the wait to get them back was longer than he or I would have liked….it was entirely worth it. I received three sublimely unique and beautifully painted OOAK’s that I am completely in love with. I will be photographing and showing them over the next couple of weeks. They are treasures…each and every one.
I am also going through a a bit of a wedding kick ( you know…the whole June thing) so a few brides will be thrown in the mix as well. My bride fetish and one of my new OOAK’s from Jon combined in the doll room this afternoon for a truly enjoyable photoshoot . I had roughly 30 minutes of sunshine today to do this set of photos. I believe I maximized the time well 
Jon….MWAH!
The Art of Redressing
I look at this process as an art form. Others may not but I do. One of the many meanings of the word “redressing” is to set right; remedy or rectify. However you view it, most of us at some point as collectors participate in it…the redress. The sometimes exhaustive process of finding the perfect dress for the perfect doll gives me mental hives at times. I have some definite preferences when it comes to redressing, displaying and photographing a doll. I may get a doll in and while I love the face, the dress does not speak to me…as in the case of my latest acquisition Principessa. It is not that I think the dress is bad. I just didn’t feel it on this doll. Many times the disappointment with a fashion is tempered when I see it displayed on another doll. This happened to me just last night when I saw the Principessa wedding gown displayed, slightly altered, on a different doll. The dress had a whole new life for me.
These next two photos are from the collector and photographer Julia Castro Fuentes whose photos I have followed for years. I love her eye for color, lighting and styling in her doll photography. She has an enviable collection and an even more enviable talent behind the lens. To see more of her fantastic work, feel free to visit her Flickr photostream at https://www.flickr.com/photos/castrojulia/. The two photos below are under Julia’s copyright and are being used on ITFDS with her permission.
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
I realized when looking at Julia’s photos, that this dress had a whole lot of potential. I also realized…it looked WAY better on a brunette..in my opinion. With that revelation in mind, I searched the doll room for a better model for this dress.
And…the sunny window setup. Many times one of my kids holds the reflector for me ( a job that they crankily do for their dear old Mom) but, I also find an extra music stand works really well too. My trusty tripod is never far but many of the shots in this set were free handed…that lovely sunshine makes things easier with that. I used a Canon Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens with these shots.
-Rebecca
Redressed Principessa
I am happy to have received this one and shared some much needed photographs. I love the fact that when Mattel fails to come through with information or images, the collector community steps forward and supplies what it can. Case in point, it looks like those of us who have received this doll first, are posting photos for those who are hungry for more information. Kudo’s to the collector community for “marketing” this doll.
For those of you interested in what this lady looks like redressed and what is happening under that veil…here you go.
Model: Principessa™ Barbie®
dress: Bogue’s Vogues
The braid is not too bad. I am not real happy with how it is left on the side of her face without being tucked in somewhere. I wish it went all the way over and under the other side. That would have been a cleaner look in my opinion. As it stands though it is not horrific…just could be better. You can tuck the little end of the braid into the surrounding hair but you will still see the bulky rubber band that secures the braid at the end. Solution….photograph from the left….or..you could just do away with the braid all together. I think I might do that at some point in the future. For today, however, I just put on my big girl pants and dealt with it.
I thought the hairstyle of this one was perfect for a 1950’s shirtwaist from Mr Bogue. I put holes in her ears ( nope..she does not come with predrilled holes) and inserted some pearl studs. Now she looks finished.
Principessa Bride Silkstone Is In The House!
I really don’t know what is going on with Mattel marketing this year. I have never received a doll before the promotional photos are out. I wonder if this will be the norm to follow. Anywhoo…my fabulous dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls emailed me and said she had this beauty in and I jumped at the chance to get her.
Normally, I put a link in my blog post to Barbiecollector. Since Mattel doesn’t even have a promo shot out on this one yet let alone a way to purchase this beauty…no link to you Mattel. I will link to my dealer instead.
She comes with a little bouquet, a small prayer book and white slingback pumps. She has a little tiara veil and short gloves. One notable omission….no earrings or jewelry of any kind. What bride goes to her wedding without some bling? Just my humble comment but geez guys…you would think over $100 bucks would give you at least a pair of pearl earrings. Just sayin’. I plan on adding my own.
Here face is really pretty. I wasn’t really sure about the glitter at first but I must admit…it is kind of growing on me. I think it will work really well for redressing. And…redressing will be happening here. The dress, while cute, is just not working for me.
The hair is different on this one too. She has a braid under the veil…
The braid is just kind of left there on the right side of her face…not tucked in or anything. I will have to do something with that when I redress. I will go into that in a future post. After deboxing her, the appeal of this one is increasing. She really is quite pretty.
Then I pulled out the big camera and liked her even more 
Pastel Fiorella
I just had to rip those black bows off. I adore the face paint on this one but the black bows, dress and knee socks had to go to another doll.
Model: Fiorella™ Barbie® Doll
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Hat: by the fabulous Judy O of Aponi Designs
Unexcused Absence…
I have been tardy from the blog and I admit it. There are good reasons for it , I promise. For the past three weeks, I have been busy prototyping some items that I am hoping to sell at Barbie convention and through the blog (Etsy shop still being set up) as well. While I can’t show many of the items yet, they are all in stages of doneness in my laundry room…I offer up some sneak peeks at the end of this post. In the meantime, I decided to put Miss Poppy in the window for a photoshoot inspired by the beautiful spring green color that is popping up(LOL! pun intended) all around the Pacific Northwest right now. Spring has sprung in the garden…and in the studio as well.
Model: I Love How You Love Me Poppy Parker
Dress: Bogue’s Vouges ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues)
Here are a few sneaks of what I am working on….
The piece above was repainted by a very talented artist I am proud to call a friend. There will be more about her and her work in a future post.
–Rebecca
You’ve Got a Friend
I have a friend who is going through a hard time right now. I always say that one of if not the most amazing things about the collecting community is its strength and ability to support its members. This friend is a doll collector and in the midst of the gauntlet she is walking right now, she still thought of others and helped out a few collector friends this week. Her grace and strength humbles me. My friend…this one is for you.
Models: Fascination Monogram, Breathless Veronique FR2,Sweet Smell of Success Veronique FR
Gowns: Illumination Monogram, Fine Romance Eugenia FR, Dressmaker Details After the Ball
Set: Suzy Goose Piano
Flame brush: http://firebug-stock.deviantart.com
Time for a Spring Fling…
…with Poppy Parker. As the light gets better in the Pacific Northwest of the US, it is imperative to take advantage of it. We had a few sun rays the other day so I had to grab my camera and a few models ready to show off some spring colors.
Model: Sweet in Switzerland Poppy Parker
Shirt, Skirt, belt and shoes: Fashion Royalty Spring Forward Eugenia
Hat: Barbie Basics hat that I refashioned into something completely different. {You have to imagine John Cleese saying that}.
Quick behind the scenes look
Presenting at the Oscars
I love watching the Oscars. Well…mostly I just like watching the red carpet and posting my picks and pans after. Last year I had a lot of fun and success with my “Getting ready for the Oscars” photo. See all the information about this photo here.
Mattel had just released this new wardrobe piece and I was anxious to use it. In my head, Barbie was getting ready to go to the Oscars as a possible recipient. Because she was one of the contenders for the gold statue, she needed to be in a drop dead gown. The story continued in my head that she went on to win the Oscar. That means that this year, she will be presenting the Oscar for the award she won last year.
Model: Barbie Basics®Model No. 01 — Collection 001
Gown: Miniature Couture by Mary
Jewelry: Fashion Royalty Monogram Completist accessory pack
Diorama: Wall panel was made my me. More info here. Clock was found in Paris and the beautifully painted bombé chest will be featured in a future blog post. More info coming. Floral arrangements in golden urns were made by me.
Now…I am really ready for the Oscars. Fashion review should be up on Monday.
The Hollywood Issue
I am a subscriber to Vanity Fair. Every year, before the Oscar’s, they have an issue called “The Hollywood Issue”. I am always impressed with the cover photography of these issues and never fail to feel inspired after viewing it. Last year, I was inspired to do my own cover and this is what I ended up with.
This year, I was inspired to try another one and Integrity Toys’ newly revamped Fashion Royalty products were my muses.
Models: “Evermore” Vanessa in her original outfit, Workshop Elise in Mattel Hervé Léger by Max Azria, “Bellissima” Natalia in her original outfit, “After Tonight” Eugenia in Mattel “Hollywood Cast Party”, “Baby It’s You” Chip, “Black Orchid” Vanessa in Bellissima Couture gown and Jakki Peters hat.
Now…are we all set for the Oscar’s? I think so. 
Hello 2014!
Ok, so the craziness is mostly over in our house. I don’t think I have entertained that much during the holidays in a very, very long time. Now the daunting task of taking down all the holiday décor is ahead of me. I did not think about that today though. Today, I grabbed my trusty point and shoot, one of my favorites from the Fashion Royalty convention and an outfit by a dear friend that I have been wanting to shoot since I got it.
Model: Interlude Monogram
Suit and hat: Bellissima Couture ( adorable little cameo was added by Hilda too )
Purse: Re-ment…..yes…it is absolutely true….Re-ment
Fashion Inspiration
Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year will be full of new and interesting fashion doll news that we can talk about and share here. Fashion Inspiration is always a fun thing to speculate on when a new set of dolls is released from Mattel or Integrity Toys. There are some very good fashion sleuths in our collecting community that post possible inspirations for these new and old fashion dolls. I don’t know if it is the history lover or the fashion lover in me that enjoys this information. I guess it doesn’t really matter..I just think it is fun to see the possible inspiration that designers at Mattel or IT use to design a particular doll.
My friend Hilda of Bellissima Couture found a fashion and posted it on Pinterest the other day. It was a dress by Jason Wu and I instantly recognized it. It was a gown I had seen on a Fashion Royalty doll. It was not surprising…given that Jason Wu designed the doll for Integrity Toys.
Typically, a doll is released and I love to look back in history at fashion shows of popular designers to see if I can spot an inspiration. It started me thinking…Jason Wu started as a doll designer…was there inspiration coming the other way? In other words, could we look back at previous doll designs and see inspiration for the amazing designer he was to become. I think I may have found a few.
Whichever way inspiration goes, from the fashion world to the doll design arena or vice versa, that connection with fashion past and present is a big part of collecting for me. It is so interesting to me to see how they influence each other.
I am looking forward to another year of fashion inspiration and doll collecting. I hope you are too 
Delphine Poppy
I had a few moments to shoot some photos before I left for convention so I have some new material to share. This particular Poppy has been a muse for me many times and I knew this shade of blue would look fabulous on her.
Model: The Happening Poppy parker
Gown: Delphine Silkstone Barbie
I am using a slightly different lighting formula on this one. I have been looking for a small spotlight that was inexpensive and easy to use. I found some really great mini spot lights with magnetic feet that snap right onto my photo tent…the problem was…they are LED lights and turn everything pretty much blue. How do I get a LED light to look like a warm soft box light? Easy…add a filter.
The only thing tinged blue on this shoot was la tour Eiffel behind Miss Poppy….and that was on purpose.
Diorama Finds
I purchased a couple of things that I wanted to pass on to people. Halloween is just around the corner and I know many collectors are into that gothic look and feel. Someone on Doll Divas posted about a set of black gothic chairs a while back ( sorry I can’t find the original post) and I decided to check them out. I was a bit skeptical about the sizes but I gambled and won on this one. They are , in my opinion, the right scale for 1/6 fashion dolls.
You can find these beauties at the Victorian Trading Company. http://www.victoriantradingco.com/item/80-ha-8023219/100100104/gothic-arm-chairs-set-of-3
They cost $49.95 so that works to $16.65 per chair. I don’t feel that is exorbitant for three 1/6 scale chairs. They are made of resin so kind of heavy but not too bad. One of the kind of cool features is that they have a hanging hook on the back so you could put them on the wall. It’s kind of an interesting display idea don’t you think?! I may have to try that one. Also, it looks like these could be painted as well so there you go. A big “Thank You” to whoever posted this link on Doll Divas!
While I was perusing my recent Pottery Barn catalog I ran across something interesting. I am all about Christmas décor planning right now so I was looking at the new ornaments coming out. They had the most adorable bottle brush dogs as ornaments. I looked at the sizing and thought “Hey, I bet those could be really cute as diorama pets!”.
It’s an Airedale!! I Had to have it. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bottlebrush-airdale-ornament-holiday-2013/?pkey=cornaments-trim-holiday&cm_src=ornaments-trim-holiday||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
And a Cocker Spaniel .. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bottlebrush-cocker-spaniel-ornament-holiday-2013/?pkey=cornaments-trim-holiday&cm_src=ornaments-trim-holiday||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
They run from $8.50 to $10.50 a piece. I was really, really tempted to get the St. Bernard one too but you just have to stop somewhere. The beauty of these are, they will grace my Christmas tree during the holidays and then grace my dioramas and pictures for the rest of the year.
Happy Weekend!
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 